Who is Tadd Fujikawa? Pro golf’s first gay male player

Tadd Fujikawa made headlines this week when he become the first male professional golfer to come out as gay. So, who is the US sportsman?

Born in 1991 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Fujikawa first turned heads as an amateur golfing sensation when be became the youngest ever player to qualify for the US Open in 2006 at the age of 16.

Fujikawa turned pro in 2007 when made the cut for the Sony Open in Hawaii, finishing in joint 20th place. At the time, he was the youngest golfer in 50 years to play at a PGA tour event.

In 2008, he won his professional victory at the 50th annual Mid-Pacific Open in Hawaii, where a mixture of amateurs and professionals compete. He went on to win the tournament again in 2009.

Over the years, Fujikawa has also played at a number of other professional golfing tournaments, including the eGolf Professional Tour in 2010, and the PGA Tour Canada in 2016.

The golfer, who is currently ranked 2,042 in the world, has also twice won the Hawaii State Open—in 2010 and 2017.

Inspiring others

When Fujikawa publicly came out on Tuesday, which marked World Suicide Prevention Day, he explained that he hoped his story would help others in the LGBT+ community.

Posting a photo of himself in Instagram, he wrote: “So…I’m gay. Many of you may have already known that.

Fujikawa publicly came out as gay in an Instagram post. (taddy808/Instagram)